Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include additional road surface noise reduction measures, a sound barrier and home noise insulation measures in the contract specifications for the M60 smart motorway extension through Denton.

Andrew Jones

The M60 Smart Motorway project near Denton is currently in its early design stage and the scope and boundaries of the project are still being defined. By the nature, of this type of project, Highways England expect that the scheme will mostly be within the existing motorway footprint. This could include a quiet road surfacing or sound barriers.

However, any compensation arrangements will be the same as for all such improvement schemes. If properties in the nearby area of the scheme qualify for noise insulation under the Noise Insulation Regulations, then appropriate offers will be made.

The environmental impact will be assessed as part of the design and any necessary actions will be considered during the detailed design. One year after the completion of the scheme, local property owners may apply for compensation under Part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973 and such claims will be assessed under the terms of that Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to reduce the amount of litter on Highways England’s road network; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

Highways England, as a Government Owned Company, is responsible for complying with the mandatory legal requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which includes removing litter on England’s motorways. Collecting litter puts road workers at risk and is a costly operation, so Highways England works collaboratively with a number of organisations to promote anti-litter campaigns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, whether the scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 apply to combined authorities.

James Wharton

The scrutiny requirements for combined authorities are set out in Schedule 5A to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, as inserted by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, which provide that overview and scrutiny committees of combined authorities have powers to call in decisions and to involve other persons in their work. Schedule 5A also provides for secondary legislation which must ensure that the majority of members of an overview and scrutiny committee will be members of the combined authority’s constituent councils and that at least one member of an audit committee is an independent person. The scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 do not apply to combined authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many journeys have been made by each government minister using the Government Car Service since May 2015; and how many such journeys have been made for the transportation of a red box.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government Car Service provides a Departmental Pool Car service to its customers. Departments manage the use of the vehicle by their Ministers and individual trips are not recorded.

In addition, GCS offers a small pre booked service. The IT system used for this service is in the process of renewal and so the information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2016 to Question 23756, what proportion of the cost of backlog maintenance for each level of assessed risk in each NHS organisation relates to (a) MRI machines (b) CT Scanners (c) PET-CT scanners (d) Linear accelerators and (e) Robotic surgery systems.

George Freeman

Information on the age of MRI machines, CT scanners, PET-CT scanners, linear accelerators and robotic surgery systems and the proportion of the cost of backlog maintenance that relates to these are not held centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers she has to improve governance and scrutiny of leadership and management at the Audenshaw School Academy Trust; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson

The Education and Adoption Act 2016 has introduced consistent powers to tackle inadequate and coasting academies. These allow the Secretary of State to terminate the funding agreement of an academy which has been rated as inadequate by Ofsted or is identified as coasting, and if necessary move the school to a new trust with a sponsor who has a proven track record and who will ensure the leadership and management of the school has the skills needed for the future.

Vicky Beer, the Regional Schools Commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, has been working closely with Audenshaw School Academy Trust to ensure that sufficient action is being taken to ensure the school improves.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment of need for (a) additional school places, (b) a new academy or (c) a new free school she plans to carry out in connection with applications to dispose for development of the former Two Trees High School site in Denton.

Edward Timpson

The Education Act 2011 requires that the Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of land which has been used for any school or academy in the last eight years. A key consideration for the government is whether the land proposed for disposal could be suitable for use by a new academy or free school.

School playing fields are also protected by Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Schools and local authorities must obtain the Secretary of State’s approval before they can dispose of their land. Applications to dispose of school playing fields are first considered by the school playing fields advisory panel, who make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, before she then makes her final decision.

At this time I am not aware of an application by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to seek approval to dispose of the former Two Trees Sports College, including the playing fields.

Should an application be submitted, the Secretary of State would take into account any groups or organisations with permission to use the playing fields and what suitable alternative provision they may have been offered. Local schools, which are deficient in playing field land, should also be offered the opportunity to use the playing field before any application is presented. She will also take into account local school place needs and any academy requirement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been issued to Latvians who are categorised as non-citizens in each year since 2010.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office does not hold the specific information in the format requested. To obtain it would involve interrogating individual case records, at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to support people who have had adverse reactions to vaccines administered by the NHS.

Jane Ellison

The Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme (VDPS) was set up under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 to provide a measure of financial help in those very rare circumstances where it is established that severe disability was caused by vaccination administered by the National Health Service.

It is only one part of the wide range of support and help available to severely disabled people in the United Kingdom. The VDPS does not prejudice the right of the injured person to pursue a claim for compensation against the manufacturer of the vaccine.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons TV Licensing is not included in the Tell Us Once service.

Priti Patel

Consideration was given to include TV licencing in the Tell Us Once Service, however as the Department for Work and Pensions already provides this information to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, it is not necessary to also include it in the Tell Us Once Service.